Archive for the On Donald Trump Category

The Silent Jew in “The Donald’s” White House

A CANDID NOTE TO JARED KUSHNER

We are told that YOU Jared, son in law of the orange ogre that is befowling the White House, is a commited Jew who is strongly pro-Zionist. If this is true how come you are acting like the silent jews that denied the holcaust was happening until it was undeniable, or the Jewish collaborators in the Nazi concentration camps and the Eastern European ghettoes? Please help us understand how you could witness a white “Goyim” mob marching in an American city bearing torches while shouting “BLOOD AND SOIL!” And “Jew Will not remove us!” Yet not utter a mumbling word of protest?

Maybe you are taking your cue about how to behave from the German Zionist in the 1930’s – whose misguided activities are detailed in “Zionism in the Age of Dictators” by the brillant Jewish writer Lenny Brenner. These Zionist leaders thought that by refusing to oppose the developing Nazi movement they could strike a deal with them to achieve their objective of a Jewish homeland.

The modern Zionist movement was born with the 1896 publication of “The Jewish State,” by Theodor Herzl, who founded the “World Zionist Organization” in 1897, along with the Vienese Jew Nathanial Birnbaum, who had founded “Kadimah,” the first Jewish student organization at the University of Vienna in 1883. He had also published the phamplet Auto-Emancipation the same year.

Herzl, who had recieved a college education in Germany, and tried his best to assimilate into the wider Christian community became thorougly disillusioned by the trial of Captian Dreyfus, a French Jewish military man whose trial on obviously trumped up charges brought out all of the latent anti-semitism that lay just beneath the polite surface of what appeared to be an open, tolerant, religiously liberal French society. The fact that France had been the leader among the nations of Europe in accptance of the Jews, granting them full Civil Rights as French citizens, convinced Herzl that there was no hope of eradicating anti-Semitism among Christians. Hence he became convinced that Jews could only hope to find peace and security in an independent Jewish state.

Furthermore, Herzl had been greatly influenced by the Pan-Germanic ideology – fueled by nationalism and romanticism such as we hear in the music of Ricard Wagner – as was the great Afro-American scholar WEB DuBois, who was pursuing a PhD in economics at the Kaiser Welheim Institute at the University of Berlin, at the time. Ironically, Zionism, Nazism, and Pan-Africanism has their intellectual roots in these ideas which were rife in 19th century German universities. Central to this romantic nationalism was the idea of “Blut and Boden” i.e “Blood and soil,” which argues that central to the identity of any nation is the identification of people of one blood with a specific territory (soil)

This became the basis of the Nazi identification of who was – and was not – a German citizen, and this idea set in motion sinister forces that first isolated and discriminated against Jews by law. Then unleashed a genocidal attack against them that killed millions in a “Holocaust!” This truth is either denied or embraced by the Neo-Nazi thugs that marched in the streets of Charlottesville Virginia a few nights ago! So tell us Jared, why are you so silent on this? Could it be a result of the fact that Zionist Jews in America today have formed an unholy alliance with so-called CHRISTIAN ZIONIST, who are largely white southern Evangelicals, many of whom are WHITE CHRISTIAN SUPREMACISTS who don’t like Jews or Blacks!

It is no secret that hard core Pro-Zionist American Jews have entered into a Faustian bargain with these Christian bigots whom you know does not like Jews, because they are a critical element in the all-powerful “Israel Lobby.” The role of Christian Zionist in the Israel Lobby is detailed by Dr’s John Miersheimer and Stephen Walt, Professors of political science at the University of Chicago and Harvard, in their definitive book “THE ISRAEL LOBBY.” Since Christian Zionists are willing to back any kind of aggressive and unjust policies against the Palestinians because their theology tells them that “Christ The King” cannot return until the Jews are full in posession of Israel, you are willing to take these snakes unto your bosom.

Alas, dispite the fact that you are well aware that these Evangelical “Christian Zionists” believe that Judaism is herasy, and if Jews do not convert to Christianity before the “Rapture” they will BURN IN HELL, you continue your alliance with them because you think it’s a can’t lose proposition. From the perspective of a morally twisted businessman, if you look only at cost/benefit in political terms it does seem like a good deal.

After all, if they are going to support any outrageous policy of the Israeli government, and all you have to do is convert to Christianity before the “Rapture,” which you rightfully view as NONSENSE, there seems no downside to the deal. But I would remind you Jared, in the spirt of the ancient Hebrew Prophets: Beware Son! For when you make Faustian bargins the DEVIL WILL EVENTUALLY CLAIM YO SOUL!!! Is that why you have chosen to remain silent as a church mouse while Nazis are wilding in the streets of America???

Playthell Benjamin

Harlem,New York

August 14, 2017

The Adoration of Trumpanzees

BAMBOOZLING THE SHIT KICKERS……

Did yall see the city slicker from New Yawk in Applachia last night playing the hicks in the sticks as if they were fiddles at the “Grand Ol Oprey?” The occasion was an announcement by the Governor of West Virginia that he was switching party affliation from Democrat to Republican. This move could be his undoing, after Trump is driven from office in disgrace.

The speech Donnie Dimwit gave was an embarrassing rehash of his campaign trail bunko; he sounded like a corny broken record stuck on stupid. As the prosecutors in Washington and New York tighten the noose around his neck he fled to the only place he is sure to find some love these days: The backwoods wilderness of Applachia where the peckerwood yahoos dwell in a fog of ignorance.

As I scanned the faces in the scraggly snaggle-toothed crowd, many of whom had never visited a dentist before Obamacare, they seemed oddly familiar. I thought I saw “Ma and Pa Kettle,” “Barnie Google,” “Lil Abner,” “Moonbeam McSwine,” “Daisy May,” “The Duck Dynasty,” “The Dukes of Hazard,” “Andy Griffin,” the “Hee Haw” crowd, and the “Beverly Hillbillies.” I swear it looked like they were all there!

Somehow the Republicans think they can use these unemployed coal miners, out of work moonshiners, and scatter brained trailer trash to rag on us educated big city folks. Just cause we read books and newspapers, attend art shows and theaters, and can actually tell “real” from “fake news” we are to be treated like child molestors. Spurred on by dirty devious decievers like Donnie they are encouraged to denounce, and try and shame us, for being “elitetist.”

Fired Up Trumpanzees!

Crazy, Clueless, Crackers!

Well I don’t go for that okey doke, so I’ma just keep it real. I am happy as a bum in the Waldof to be living on Sugar Hill in Manhattan awash in books, with a commanding view of the New York manscape, listening to NPR, the BBC, WBAI, MSNBC, et al while reading the august New York Times trying to get smarter.!

I am estatic at being able to order food and wine from fabulous resturants and wineries, have it delivered to my door, and savor these delicacies while listening to marvelous solo piano performances by McCoy Tyner Valadimir Horowitz, Dorothy Donnegan, Chucho Valdez, Alicia de la Rocha, Herbie Hancock, Andre Watts, Mary Lou Williams, Art Tatum, et al.
And although an ignorant philistine like Donnie Dimwit can quicken the pulse and conjure rebel yells from the Hill billies because he comes across as being fully as dumb as them, and Trumpanzee surrogates like that muddled headed Miller guy tries to make “Cosmopolitan” sound like a dirty word….I GLORY IN BEING A COSMOPOLITE….A MAN OF THE WORLD!!!!
That’s because unlike narrow minded white trash – with or without money – I was cultivated to be a cosmopolite early on in life. You see, I attended a highschool whose Curriculum and philosophy and been shaped by the brilliant multi-talented James Weldon Johnson – the quintessential cosmopolite, who said the objective of his educational program was “to produce cosmopolites.” He and his brother J. Rosamond Johnson, penned the eight stanza art song “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as the class song for the first black high school class to graduate in Florida in 1901. This genuine American Lieder that became famous as “The Negro National Anthem, was sung at all important black community events instead of the “Star Spangled Banner” – that white war song passionately sung by slave masters and every variety of white racist!

I grew up in a all black community in Florida where the standards were set by the “Talented Tenth” that class Dr, WEB Dubois had called into existence in his famous 1903 essay “Of Mr, Booker T. Washington and Others.” Here, and in other essays in the classic anthology, “The Souls Of Black Folk,” Dr. Dubois offers a penetrating analysis of what an education should consist of, and the need to have no limits on our aspirations, encouraging us to shoot for the stars, or “jump at de sun,” as the brilliant writer/anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston said her mother advised her when she left the little town of Eatonville Florida heading for Harlem.

James Weldon Johnson

A 20th Century American Reniassance Man

WEB DuBois

The most broadly learned Visionary American of the 20th Century

The idea that one should set their sights high, and our reach should exceed our grasp, was distilled in a little ditty we used to recite: “Aim for the top/shoot yo best shot/and like Mellin told Snellin/ain’t no tellin!” This kind of foresight was conspiculously absent in the po dumb rednecks that populated the white working class community. Only the white eliete held such values, a class whom the rednecks had far less interaction with than many working class blacks because the blacks were domestic workers in their mansions and thus observed them in their most intimate moments and poor whites never got beyond the back porch!

As the great southern writer Albert Murray points out in classic books like “The Omni-Americans,” and “South to a Very Old Place,” this close relationship to the white southern elite allowed Afro-Americans to select the best that this class had to offer,while seeing them with all their imperfections and vulnerabilities. They had their eyes on Mighty Whitey, saw him for what he was, and rejected those things that were obvious flaws in their character. While looking upon the po often illiterate crackers as white trash just like the white elite saw them! Murray also pointed out that poor working class blacks had access to the black bourgeosise because of racial segregation by law,” and he called this unintended consequence “antoganistic cooperation,” because this racist system forged a community of interests that would not have existed in a racialy open society such as we have today.

Hence, given my heritage as the heir to four genertions of pedagogues, and prizing learning and teaching above all else I say: FUCK DONNIE DIMWIT, THE SHIT KICKERS WHO ADORE HIM, AND ALL IGNORANT ASSHOLES WHO PRIZE IGNORANCE OVER KNOWLEDGE, SUPERSTITION OVER SCIENCE, RACISM AND SEXISM OVER UNIVERSAL FREEDOM, AND PASSION OVER REASON!!!!!!
Hence while I am a compulsive pedagogue who is genetically predisposed to fighting ignorance wherever I encounter it, Donald J. Trump appears to be the foremost heir to Sarah Palin’s contribution to American politics: MAKING IGNORANCE FASHIONABLE!!!! I refuse to me intimidated by the untutored mob, the collossal Ignorami, who has the unmitigated call to gall themselves “the real Americans!” If that were true the world would be talking about “Yankee Know-Nothing” rather than “Yankee Know How!”

An Afro-American Cosmopolite

They can all can kiss my arrogant, intelligent, Black ELITIST ass!!!! Beginning with Donnie Dimwit!!!! And as far as the supposed virtues of life in Rural and small town America, well I would rather be a fire hydrant in Manhattan and get pissed on by dogs every day that a king in a castle in WEST VIRGINIA!!!!!! And the truth be told…..so would that lying ass Trump: he is just scared to come home because he knows we despise him and he would be met with angry crowds telling his so!

August 5, 2017

The Bunko Artist and the Soft Porn Model

An American Dilemma

The great theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein, once observed “God does not shoot dice with the world.” Well, that may be true of God but it is certainly not the case with Americans, at least the millions who voted to place Donald J. Trump in charge of the US nuclear arsenal and give him the launch codes. This means that as I write a delusional megalomaniac with anger issues and the temperament of a pre-adolescent can literally give a command that could unleash forces that would destroy the world in half an hour from now! As totally bizarre and unbelievable as it sounds: this is a simple and literal truth.

The obvious question all who have read thus far in my essay must be asking is: How did humanity come to such a tragic state of affairs? The simple answer is the ignorance, apathy and amoral opportunism of a majority of the American electorate. It is a predicament that Thomas Jefferson, arguably the wisest and most thoughtful of the “Founding Fathers” of the United States of America, worried about and issued in a dire warning at the birth of the nation. “A popular Democracy cannot work with an ignorant electorate,” he warned, “because they will elect and return the worse people to power.”

Yet considering that this warning was issued in the 18th century, a time when electricity or the internal combustion engine had not been invented, whatever horrors Jefferson might have imagined is inconsequential compared to the catastrophe that the ignorance of the American electorate has placed this nation, and all life on this planet. Had Jefferson been able to conceive of a time when Americans would possess the power to destroy our world, I am certain that he would have demanded far more stringent qualifications for the right to vote….and especially in order to run for President

I have employed the hindsight provided by historical perspective because it shines a revealing light on some fundamental flaws in the US system of governance by popular democracy, and suggest some unpleasant truths about what must be done to correct it…lest we are all doomed. It’s just a matter of time…and time is running out! Alas, it is no exaggeration to declare that the whole-world is in a state of emergency.

Of the three failings that led to the election of Donald Trump – a man who by any objective measure is unfit for the job and thereby poses a grave danger to the world – the mass ignorance that has rendered the American democratic process for selecting our top leaders dysfunctional, is the easiest to remedy. That can be solved by restoring serious Civics courses to the core public school curriculum and qualitatively raising the standards by which US citizens qualify to vote.

This can be accomplished by appointing a bi-partisan committee of political scientists and historians – equally composed of Republicans and Democrats – who will be tasked with composing a basic Civics test that will tell the Board of elections whether potential voters understand enough about the basic structure and function of American political institutions, as well as the ideology and principles of American democracy which gives them legitimacy, to cast an informed vote. It could be based on the standard examination given to immigrants who apply for US citizenship. Those who fail to achieve a certain score on this test will lose their right to vote.

This will be easy enough to achieve. We can set up a website where citizens can get the necessary information to study for the test, and they can be administered at polling places and local school houses. Much like the classes people who are seeking to become new Americans attend in order to prepare for the test they must pass before being allowed to take the oath of Citizenship. Whatever expenses are accrued from this process is a small price to pay to salvage our democracy, which at presently dangerously dysfunctional. A far more complex version of this test should be administered to any candidate who seeks to run for President, along with rigorous psychiatric examinations to test their mental fitness to hold such a pressure filled office that demand the ability to make timely and sober decisions about complex and dangerous matters. It is safe to say that Donald Trump would never have passed such a rigorous test.

We should also adopt some of the practices of other advanced nations that limit both the time of political campaigns and the amount of money that can be spent on them. The emphasis should be on the candidate’s positions, not the amount of money they can spend on political advertisements; which research shows often reaches the point of diminishing returns as these ads began to confuse more than they enlighten, producing more heat than light.

However, the problem of apathy i.e. a disinterest in politics, is much more difficult to address. But since these people will have no effect on the process they are of no consequence to the outcome. If they cannot understand that politics is the process by which relationships of power are created and distributed, and that power is the ability to do what you want, when you want, and to get the most and the best of whatever there is to get, then they are too ignorant to exercise the vote anyway. And although bitter experience may not be the best teacher, it could well be the only effective tutor for such lost souls. They will eventually learn from the trial, tribulations and cruel vicissitudes of life that Aristotle was right: Unless one is a God or a beast their life’s chances will be determined by politics!

Alas, the most dangerous condition as well as the most difficult to remedy is the amoral opportunist, because such people are prone to making Faustian Bargains – deals with the Devil i.e. compromises with transparent evil in order to achieve wealth and power. In America today there is a leadership in the Republican Party that is neither ignorant nor apathetic, they know well the evil they doeth and they are busy as beavers! They have concocted a calculus for victory that factors in the ignorance and moral turpitude of their constituents. Hence, they stand idly by applauding the outrages of Donald Trump like carnival acts holding their noses and kissing pigs while playing to the cheap seats.

These soulless charlatans are reactionary tribalist that have placed the fate of their party over the fate of the nation. This is a dangerous game when practiced in banana republics, it could result in catastrophe when it is practiced by leaders of the most complex modern society in history. Especially when it results in placing a man in who has been officially diagnosed by thousands of professional psychiatrists and psychologist as suffering from “Malignant Narcissism” and “paranoia,” in charge of doomsday weapons that can destroy the world! The princes and powers of the Republican Party has heard this frightening diagnosis, but in their arrogance and hubris they believe they can control “The Donald.”

Perhaps these shallow bean counters, horse traders, charlatans and scoundrels believe that they can control this guy because they can impeach him if worse comes to worse. They are too ignorant of history to be cautioned by the fact that the last man to become head of a modern nation with this psychiatric profile was Adolph Hitler. His actions led to a global conflagration that resulted in 50 million deaths. And the sensible sober leaders of Germany thought they could control him too, when they helped him come to power.

German elites who scorned and mocked Hitler as “the Austrian corporal” and routinely referred to him as “swine” behind his back, enthusiastically cast the Nazi Salute with gusto in public. These highly educated actors engaged in what proved to be a deadly duplicity because they recognized that Hitler’s mass appeal could help them defeat the Communists and socialists. Since they embraced the evil Nazi regime there can be no pretense that their opposition to the communists was to defend and preserve democracy; the way the Republican elites who find Trump repugnant and routinely described him as “an amoral con man” during the election campaign, now adopt a permanent lips to posterior posture towards the previously vilified charlatan. The recent cabinet meeting that we witnessed on television could compete with any Nazi cabinet meeting for fawning slavishness before the great leader!

Here we see the awful truth of Harvard philosopher George Santayana’s axion: “Those who refuse to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat its mistakes!” Alas, I find myself returning to this prescient warnings often these days…the tenor of the times demands it. For this is an occasion for sober and candid analysis of the objective facts. To the untutored mob, morally and psychologically twisted from genuflecting before the twin evils of racism and sexism, Trump is a heroic savior, while Barack and Hillary – the true friends of the working class with decades of yeoman work on their behalf – are viewed as enemies to be despised.

Karl Marx and Lenin would be baffled by this strange political pathology. For in Marx’s magisterial, insightful and original critique of capitalism it was the working class – the proletariat – whose historically appointed role was to lead the struggle to reform or abolish the capitalist exploitation of labor which was a necessary condition to perpetually increase their profits.

Confused White Workers for Trump

There was a time when this conflict between the class interests of labor and capital was understood by working people. Now it is mostly the rich who understand that class conflict is real and are actively waging class warfare against the working class and the poor. The main reason why class consciousness has declined so dramatically among workers is the destruction of union power as a result of the adoption of “right to work” laws in poor backward southern states. This is a reactionary region of the country where the organization of labor has been a dangerous and risky business historically, and explains why so many working-class whites ignorantly support Trump when everything in his personal history suggests that he cares nothing for their issues.

The confusion of working class whites is self-evident in their choice of a morally deformed, gluttonous billionaire who promises pie in the sky solutions to their problems of chronic unemployment due to structural changes in the US economy. A pathological liar and con man, Trump has no qualms about telling these disillusioned workers that he will bring back millions of jobs in manufacturing and coal mining. Yet the fact is that the whole world is moving on from using coal for economic and environmental reasons, and mass production manufacturing is being taken over by robotization. Since Trump’s experience in business has been as a real estate huckster who builds luxury hotels and apartment buildings, golf courses and casinos, he knows next to nothing about how business is conducted in the industrial sector….and does not appear to be doing the kind of study that would bring him up to snuff.

While there are benevolent billionaires with true concerns for the public welfare – Warren Buffett Bill Gates, Ted Turner, Mike Bloomberg, George Soros, Facebook founder Steve Zuckerberg et al – Trump is the worst representative of this class who has no record of charitable giving that any investigator has been able to find…and there have been some serious attempts. Yet when we consider the self-centered, selfish, greedy character of Donald Trump his lack of charity should surprise no one, for he is a megalomaniacal socio-path who has spent his entire life devoted to self-aggrandizement.

Alas, due to an accident of history driven by the untutored mob – the majority of whom have completely sacrificed reason to irrational passions, fired by resentments over the declining significance of whiteness – as well as a Coon Platoon composed of rich opportunistic, politically backward Negros like Jim Brown, Shakeel O’ Neil, “Uncle Ben” Carson, Fifty Cents and that punch-drunk cuckold Mike Tyson – Donald J. Trump was elected President of the United States. It is proving to be a historic blunder with catastrophic consequence… and the world will be lucky to survive it!

Whereas the US Presidency, with all the vast powers that attend this high office would ideally be best served by a person of intelligence and sound character, although short of perfection, Trump has neither. He has the morals of a gutter snipe, the ethics of a pirate, and the cultural taste of a semi-literate bunko artist. Trump has debased the standards we had come to expect of the President in the 20th century, and he is such an embarrassment that important America institutions feel compelled to publicly apologize for his remarks after inviting him to speak.

Alas, within the last week both the Boy Scouts of America and police departments across the nation have had to disassociate themselves from Donnie Dimwit’s vulgar and thoughtless remarks. He bombarded the boys with putrid rhetoric about his political opponents, when he should have been presenting an inspirational speech centered around the Scouts and their dreams for the future. And he actually encouraged the nation’s policeman to brutalize suspects in their custody, as if he wanted them to behave like an American Gestapo!

Given the nationwide incidence of police murdering unarmed black men, the President should have been stressing the rights of citizens and reminding cops that their role is to “protect and serve” the people who pay their salary and whose rights are protected by the US Constitution. Yet all of this pales into insignificance when compared to Trump’s decision to take the US out of the Paris Climate accord, a depraved action that could cause the death of millions in the future; including his grandchildren. However, Trumps erratic and irrational amoral behavior can only be fully understood when viewed from the perspective of the Psychiatrists. (for a discussion of this see “Drumpft and Herr Hitler: Birds of a Feather?” on this blog)

Trump’s Remarks Gives License to Racist like This!

Stupid White Trash Suffering from Black Penis Envy

Trump’s off the cuff crazy call for the expulsion of transgendered soldiers from the military has been soundly rebuked by 56 retired generals who has denounced Trump’s order as a threat to the mission of the US military in a signed letter. They consider Trump’s call a slander against soldiers honorably serving this nation who are willing to lay down their lives for this nation…something Donald J. Trump, a shameless draft dodger, has never been willing to do. Among the myriad outrages of this “insane clown president,” as journalist Matt Taibbi has accurately labeled Donnie Dimwit, this attack on transgendered soldiers ranks right near the top!

Hence when his enablers say, “let Trump be Trump,” it is this kind of odious behavior they are referring to. Yet the transparent embarrassing truth is inescapable: Trump is the personification of “white trash!” He is distinguished from others of his ilk only by the fact that he is wealthy i.e. white trash with money! Alas, this is about character not cash. The Donald, who formerly lived in a gaudy gilded penthouse in a marble tower situated in mid-Manhattan – the kind of obscene opulence that empty people need to feel real – has such crass, ostentatious. tawdry taste, that he has called the White House, the Peoples House taxpayers provide for our President: “A real dump!”

Since Trump is under investigation by the House and Senate for collusion with Russian intelligence agents who helped him win the presidential election, along with criminal investigations conducted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, it remains to be seen how long the cowardly Republican Congress will allow this white trash to stink up the White House!

Chillin with the King

Whatever Happened to Radical Islamic Terrorism?

Listening to the accolades heaped upon Donald Trump’s attempt at Middle-East diplomacy, I am reminded of the apocryphal tale of the talking dog. It didn’t matter what the dog was saying; the fact that the dog was talking at all was cause for praises. This story could serve as a metaphor or allegory for the low standard set for Trump’s performance as president. So long as he does not utter some incoherent nonsense, make an outrageous claim, or tell a blatant lie, his public performances are declared a success and thoughtful Americas can comfortably exhale.

Yet even when the bar is set that low, a candid assessment of the President’s performance results reveals a mediocre performance at best and a soulless, transparent charade at worse; with the President reading speeches prepared for him by others and trying to look deep. What I saw on the podium was a clueless con-man trying to sell an impossible dream of peace and mutual friendship while choosing sides in the contentious disputes that have shaped the political realities of the contemporary Middle-East – a region rife with wars and rumors of war based on ancient disputes.

Trump’s speech was preceded by comments from King Salman, the Saudi Sovereign, which put forth their vision of the contemporary situation in the region, and appended a wish list for the US President to ponder. The 50 heads of Muslim nations which supplied the raison d’etre for Trump’s visit, sat stiff as stuffed owls as the respectfully listened to the King while anxiously waiting to hear what Mighty Whitey – leader of the richest and most powerful military nation on earth – had to offer to their collective defense. For the sad truth is that all of them have a Fatwa – a religious death warrant – issued by Caliph Ibrahim, the Supreme Ruler of the ISIS Caliphate. Hence they were all dead men living on borrowed time, because their assassins will be seen as instruments of the will of Allah by the Jihadists who view them as apostates, for which the penalty is death!

Under Caliph Ibrahin….the Spawn of Saudi Whabbism

This is the Fate of Apostates!

King Salman, the absolute ruler of Saudi Arabia, presented a fawning speech that often sounded like panegyric to Trump and cast America in the role of Savior of the Saudi’s – indeed the entire Sunni Muslim world – from their enemies, whether Sunni Jihadists or the Persian Shiites of Iran.

“Our meeting with His Excellency President of the United States of America, a country enjoying strong bonds of friendship and relationship with many of our countries, does reflect His Excellency’s keenness on enhancing cooperation and coordinating stances in various fields…our 55 Arab and Islamic countries attending the summit today with a population exceeding 1.5 billion, are an important partner in fighting the forces of extremism and terrorism and achieving world peace, security and stability. His Excellency holds many hopes and aspirations for cooperation with the Arab and Muslim world… As we extend our thanks to and appreciation of His Excellency for his response to attend and participate in this summit, we reaffirm our happiness and gratitude for His Excellency’s choice of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and this summit as His Excellency’s first trip and external participation since assuming office.”

As the Saudi King went on to address the issue of Islamic extremism and the scourge of terrorism, which was the central issue of the summit conference, his remarks took on a surreal quality that bore little resemblance to the facts. He declared: “We have to stand united to fight the forces of evil and extremism whatever their source, in compliance with the orders of our true Islamic religion. Islam was and will remain the religion of mercy, tolerance and coexistence..”

To listen to the mutterings of the King, one would never suspect that Whabbism, the most extreme interpretation of Islam, was born in Saudi Arabia and spread throughout the Islamic world through the financing of Mosques and Islamic education by the Saudi government. Hence it is no accident that Osama bin Laden, the founder of Al Qaeda, and the majority of the terrorists who launched the devastating 9/11 attack on the US were Saudi Citizens. Yet, according to the Saudi Monarch: “The Iranian regime spearheads the global terrorism since Khomeini revolution until today. Since 300 years ago, we, in this country, did not witness terrorism or extremism until Khomeini revolution emerged in 1979.”

The fact is that the use of terrorism and mass murder as a means of spreading Islam goes back to the time of the Prophet. The Jihad, or “holy war,” was the dominant means by which Islam was spread in the middle ages. And the modern Jihad was hatched in Egypt during the mid-20th century through the theology of the Muslim Brotherhood and was relocated in Saudi Arabia after the Egyptian nationalist leader and military strongman Abdel Gamal Nasser hung the principal theologian of the movement Sayeed Guthb in 1966, and his brother Muhammad Guthb fled to Saudi Arabia, where he was provided the means to establish an Islamic Studies department in King Faisal University. One of his most enthusiastic students was Osama Bin Ladan!

Hence the Saudi King’s diatribe is a lie, what he accuses Iran of is true Saudi Arabia. There have been no terrorist attacks sponsored by Iran against the US, or any other Western country. The Islamist terror attacks on France, Belgium, Amsterdam, and Britain, which has just experience a devastating attack by a terrorist affiliated with ISIS, were all carried out by Sunnis whose radical theology grows out of the fanatical fundamentalism propagated by the Saudis. King Salman’s speech was self-serving propaganda, disinformation, blatant lies designed to stroke the misguided and none too bright American President, who is clueless on these questions and does not appear eager to learn because it confirms his hostile view of Iran. It is a view of Iran that has gained wide currency among Americans despite the fact that all the terrorist groups that have launched attacks in western nations are Sunnis.

Trumps long and rambling speech that followed the Kings Tirade – a strange mixture of hyperbole, fantasy, historical amnesia, denial of present realities and outright lies – Trump extended the theme of Iran as the focus of evil and source of terrorism in the Middle-East.

“Starving terrorists of their territory, their funding, and the false allure of their craven ideology, will be the basis for defeating them. But no discussion of stamping out this threat would be complete without mentioning the government that gives terrorists all three—safe harbor, financial backing, and the social standing needed for recruitment. It is a regime that is responsible for so much instability in the region. I am speaking of course of Iran.

From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms, and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region. For decades, Iran has fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror. It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room”.

This Condemnation of Iran, which has just held a democratic election to choose its leader, was preceded by abundant praise for the Kleptocratic Islamic Fascist Saudi Regime which is chosen by a medieval process of monarchal sucession:

“I want to thank King Salman for his extraordinary words, and the magnificent Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting today’s summit. I am honored to be received by such gracious hosts. I have always heard about the splendor of your country and the kindness of your citizens, but words do not do justice to the grandeur of this remarkable place and the incredible hospitality you have shown us from the moment we arrived.

You also hosted me in the treasured home of King Abdulaziz, the founder of the Kingdom who united your great people. Working alongside another beloved leader — American President Franklin Roosevelt — King Abdulaziz began the enduring partnership between our two countries. King Salman: your father would be so proud to see that you are continuing his legacy — and just as he opened the first chapter in our partnership, today we begin a new chapter that will bring lasting benefits to our citizens.”

Nowhere in Trump’s speech does he mention the fact that all protest against the Saudi government is banned by law, and carries severe penalties ranging from mutilations to death! The Saudi’s claim that this prohibition of dissent, which is a complete denial of democratic expression, is based on Sharia Law. Hence the Saudi government cite chapter 4, verse 83 of the Koran to legitimize their police state tactics. The text reads “And when it comes to them a concern for security or fear they divulge it, but if they had referred [their concern] to the Apostle and to those in a position of authority among them, those who are able to draw the right conclusion would have known [what to do]; and had it not been for the grace and mercy of God upon you, you would have followed Satan, except for a few”

This passage was cited in a declaration of March 10, 2011 – three months after the commencement of the “Arab Spring” uprisings that swept several Arab tyrants from power – issued by the Council of Senior Religious Scholars, giving religious sanction to the Saudi government to suppress all “deviant and partisan connections and anything that leads to disunity and fragmentation of the nation.” Which in effect means all protest against government policy. Since unlike Catholicism or the Anglican Church there is no Pope or Arch Bishop, the “Senior Scholars” are the final arbiters of what Koranic text says. Just as the US Constitution means whatever the majority of the nine sitting Justices at the time says it means.

This is why the Saudi’s rejoiced at Trump’s statement:

“I stand before you as a representative of the American People, to deliver a message of friendship and hope. That is why I chose to make my first foreign visit a trip to the heart of the Muslim world, to the nation that serves as custodian of the two holiest sites in the Islamic Faith. In my inaugural address to the American People, I pledged to strengthen America’s oldest friendships, and to build new partnerships in pursuit of peace. I also promised that America will not seek to impose our way of life on others, but to outstretch our hands in the spirit of cooperation and trust….And so this historic and unprecedented gathering of leaders—unique in the history of nations—is a symbol to the world of our shared resolve and our mutual respect.”

In other words, you can do whatever you want to your citizens and not to worry about American interference. Before Trump could even return to American soil, the results of this new-found license from the “Insane Clown President,” as crack US journalist Matt Taibbi titled his recent book about Trump, the Sunni tyrant king Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah of Bahrain, unleashed a violent attack on some Shiite demonstrators who were peacefully protesting the arrest of Imam Sheikh Isa Qassim, the spiritual leader of the Shiite majority for performing religious duties. Thus far there are reports that several protestors were injured in the attack and at least two have died! The Iranian government has issue a statement blaming Trump for the murders. That Trump envisions this as the path to peace in the Middle-East is another sign of his cluelessness; the Editor of Foreign Policy magazine calls Trump’s shameless embrace of these autocrats “un-American.”

Hence it is easy to see why these Arab tyrants prefer Trump to President Obama, who persistently criticized their record on human rights and insisted that the extension of democratic rights to their citizens was essential to peace and prosperity in the region. Whereas Obama emphasized the Golden Rule, Trump stressed the rule of gold:

“Now, there is even more blessed news I am pleased to share with you. My meetings with King Salman, the Crown Prince, and the Deputy Crown Prince, have been filled with great warmth, good will, and tremendous cooperation. Yesterday, we signed historic agreements with the Kingdom that will invest almost $400 billion in our two countries and create many thousands of jobs in America and Saudi Arabia.”

Trump also stressed a willingness to supply Saudi Arabia, and by implication the other tyrants in the room, with state of the art American weaponry:

“This landmark agreement includes the announcement of a $110 billion Saudi-funded defense purchase — and we will be sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defense companies. This agreement will help the Saudi military to take a greater role in security operations. We have also started discussions with many of the countries present today on strengthening partnerships, and forming new ones, to advance security and stability across the Middle East and beyond. Later today, we will make history again with the opening of a new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology — located right here, in this central part of the Islamic World. This groundbreaking new center represents a clear declaration that Muslim-majority countries must take the lead in combating radicalization, and I want to express our gratitude to King Salman for this strong demonstration of leadership.”

There was much frippery about the will of God in Trump’s speech, which I am certain the conferees took with a grain of salt from this ungodly man. “Will we be indifferent in the presence of evil? Will we protect our citizens from its violent ideology? Will we let its venom spread through our societies? Will we let it destroy the most holy sites on earth?” And judging from their blasé body language, Trump’s recounting of Islam’s glorious past in grand gluttonous phrases fared no better:

?The Middle East is rich with natural beauty, vibrant cultures, and massive amounts of historic treasures…Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest sites in one of the world’s great faiths. Each year millions of Muslims come from around the world to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Hajj. In addition to ancient wonders, this country is also home to modern ones—including soaring achievements in architecture. Egypt was a thriving center of learning and achievement thousands of years before other parts of the world. The wonders of Giza, Luxor and Alexandria are proud monuments to that ancient heritage. All over the world, people dream of walking through the ruins of Petra in Jordan. Iraq was the cradle of civilization and is a land of natural beauty. And the United Arab Emirates has reached incredible heights with glass and steel, and turned earth and water into spectacular works of art.”

In a room full of murderous Sunni tyrants with a death warrant on their heads, Trump could have quit after he promised American might would aid them in their fight against Shitte Iran; supply American arms; and join them in the fight against their fellow Sunni Jihadist. And most important is what Trump didn’t say.

No mention of the vicious oppression of women and gay people. Not a hint that the Jihadist movement is fueled by a lack of democracy and the squandering of their countries wealth by avaricious rulers whose actions are unchecked by a free press. Independent secular courts, or popular dissent. And not one reference to the phrase “Radical Islam,” for which Barack Obama was severely criticized by Trump and his Republican comrades! It was the most dramatic about face I have yet witnessed in an American President on foreign soil. Hence where many in the US press are waxing eloquent about the success of Trump’s parley with the Arabs, I am reminded of the old radio detective “Mr. Chameleon.” If I had to characterize the gathering I’d sum it up as a meeting between the Joker and the thieves.

Dead Men Standing!

Trump Closing Ranks with the Sunni Tyrants

Anyone who wishes to take the time to read my essays on the Invasion of Iraq – see “The Prophetic Commentary on Iraq,” The Arab Spring, “Sleeping in the Same Bed Dreaming Different Dreams, or the 12 essays on the Occupy Wall Street Movement, especially “Will Wall Street Rebels End up Like Jack the Bear” – will recognize that they now read like PROPHECY! I point this out not to merely boast about my prescient powers, but to offer a good reason why you should take the prediction I am offering now seriously.

I am certain that when future historian examines the results of the policies Trump announced on this trip, they will conclude that its main affect was to help solidify and grow the Jihadist movement. I say this because – as Professoe Luther P. Gerlach pointed out in his seminal study of mass movements “People,Power, Change” – the most powerful stimulus to a mass transformative movement for change is a real and clearly identifiable enemy who opposes their goals. Hence I predict that the open embrace of Trump – whom many on the “Arab Street” view as the great Satan – by the tyrannical Arab regimes, will prove to be a colossal blunder that could exceed that of the Bush invasion of Iraq!

Donnie Dancing with the Sheiks

Building Mid-East Policy on Sinking Desert Sands

The Donald’s moves in the Saudi Sword dance were as awkward and out of step as his evolving Middle East policy. Which is a lot like building your castle on sinking sands. If the paramount objective of US policy in the region is to promote peace, Trump could not have made a worse beginning. Alas, the House of Saud, whose 3000 princes control everything and own most of the vast wealth created from oil revenues is one of the world’s most corrupt, anti-democratic regimes. And unless you happen to believe that “Allah” bequeathed his “gift” of oil to the Royal Family the Saudi regime is also a kleptocracy.

It is a regime with a medieval conception of the relation of the people to the monarchy and the official religion, and it is enforced with the iron fist of the police state – all things that Englishmen in America overthrew in a war with their mother country Great Britain in the 18th century that created the United States! And while Donald Trump genuflects before the Arabian King, his regime is widely despised by many of the King’s subjects, as well as militant young Muslims throughout the Middle East. I believe that this Newfound relationship with the House of Saud will prove more costly to the US than it is worth.

For instance, Trump was practically giddy about signing a deal with the corrupt Saudi regime for 110 billion dollars and he says the Saudis have pledged to spend another 300 billion dollars in the US. And while the US quietly sold even more weapons to the Saudi’s under the eight years of the Obama Administration – due to the long standing US-Saudi alliance – Trump’s slavish genflection before the King of a regime that is hated by both the secular progressive forces and the Islamic Jihadist among the Sunnis, while expressing hostile intent toward Iran, the giant Shiite nation who share a border with the Saudis, is a prescription for armed conflict throughout the mid-east region and we have yet to see what he will promise the Israelis.

Donnie Genuflecting Before the Tyranical Saudi King

Selling American Integrity for Petro dollars

After signing the arms deal Trump turned to the camera and announced that it would create “JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! However that is problematic since the Saudi’s want many of these Americans weapons to be manufactured in Arabia. Yet it is a good bet that showering arms on the reactionary Saudi’s with no restrictions on their use could ignite a wider war than we have yet seen in the Middle-East. And it will surely involve direct engagement of US forces in a war that could pit the US against Iran and all the anti-Saudi forces in the Sunni world, including anti-royalists’ insurgents within Saudi Arabia! In this scenario, the 400 billion dollars that the Saudi’s have pledged to spend in the US will prove to be chump change when we subject it to a cost/benefit analysis.

We need only consider the fact that the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the war of choice in Iraq, is projected to cost a total of four trillion dollars by a Noble Prize winning economist at Columbia University. To put this enormous sum in perspective, it is twice the amount of money that the American Society of Civil Engineers estimated it would have cost to completely rebuild the entire infrastructure of the US: roads, bridges, power grid, create a high-speed train system, etc. And it is four times the paltry trillion dollars that Trump has request for infrastructure development. Trump has asked for. Alas, the war that could result from the US arming the backward House of Saud with advanced US weaponry will make the conflict spawned by the invasion of Iraq look like a dress rehearsal for the real thing.

On the eve of America’s invasion of Iraq I wrote a 3,000 word critical essay titled “The Iraq Attack: Bushes March of Folly,” warning against the aggressive action and pointing out that it was based on a bogus analysis of the role Iraq supposedly played in the 9/11 attack on US soil. That essay now reads like prophecy and can be read on this cite under the title: “The Prophetic Commentary on Iraq” at https://commentariesonthetimes.me/2009/08/07/the-prophetic-commentary-on-iraq/.

My careful analysis of the real reason for the Iraq invasion, How the Iraq War Was spawned in a Think Tank,” can also be read on this cite at https://commentariesonthetimes.me/2011/05/06/the-iraq-war-was-spawned-in-a-think-tank/. Furthermore, my essays on the Arab Spring, which were written in real time as events unfolded, are also posted on this site under different titles, are full of accurate predictions. Hence, I have a solid and easily verifiable record of analysis and prediction of developing conflicts Middle East.

I have cited my record of successful prediction in the turbulent Mid-East not to brag, but to point out why you should pay attention to what I am saying on the present issue. And my paramount point here is to say that the direction American foreign policy is taking under the puppet President Donald Trump should be question not applauded, and anxiety not jubilation is the proper response to it. After all, despite the attempt at an instant makeover, Trump is a clueless buffoon with no independent understanding of the critical issues in the Middle-East. In truth, he is an embarrassing ignoramus and pugnacious anti-muslim bigot who just a few weeks ago was advocating killing he families of terrorists – which would have included several prominent Saudi families such as the Bin Ladins, who are very close to the Royal Families.

So what is the reason why Trump is being embraced by the House of Saud? Well, Trump is interested in making big arms deals with the Saudi’s without any moral restraints on how or where they are deployed, and he is foolishness enough to wade into an 1800 year old conflict between the Sunnis and Shiites based on an obscure theological dispute. President Barack Obama, a brilliant and highly moral man with an in-depth understanding of the complex problems of the Middle-East, who had promised those of us who voted for him to withdraw American forces from the region, did impose moral constraints on US dealings with the Saudi’s and pursued a more balanced policy in the region to the extent that vital American interests would allow.

The difference between President Obama’s knowledge of the critical contemporary issues and their historical evolution, and Trump’s ignorance of them, explains why Trump’s first trip to the Middle East was to Saudi Arabia and President Obama went to Egypt. For a better understanding of this see: “Of All the Places in the Muslim World, Why Egypt” at https://commentariesonthetimes.me/2009/09/17/of-all-the-places-in-the-muslim-world/. Just as Bush’s failure to understand the issues around the historical reasons why Osama bin Ladin and Saddam Hussein could not possibly be allies, caused him to buy a rationale for the disastrous invasion of Iraq. And Trump’s ignorance of the history and present conflicts in the Middle East threatens to lead us into an even wider war into the region.

A gaggle of TV talking heads are making much of how well Trump and the Saudi Royals are hitting it off. But there is no mystery here, it can be summed up in the old addage: “Birds of a feather flock together.” The House of Trump and the House of Saud have a lot in common. Both revere unchecked power and a disdain for a free press, independnt courts, and protest from the people.

Both Trump and the Saudi Royals worship personal wealth, dwell in vulgar opulence without a care for the impoverished multitudes beyond self-serving lip service, and both view women as basically the property of men. And both want to keep America on a petroleum based economy. In view of these realities, it is wise to view “The Donald’s” diplomacy with a jaundiced eye: skepticism not jubliation should guide our conclusions.

Playthell G. Benjamin

Harlem, New York

May 21, 2017

Trump Recieves Putin’s Messenger in the Oval Office

The Decision of Donald Trump, “The Insane Clown President” of the USA – as the crack reporter Matt Taibbi properly labeled him in his book by that name – has once again demonstrated what a clueless, megalo-maniacal, fool that he is! The day after firing FBI Director James Comey – following his request to the Justice Department for more resources to investigate whether Trump’s campaign operatives colluded with the Russians to subvert our presidential elections in order to defeat Hillary Clinton – he invites Putin’s surrogates into the Oval Ofice.

And to add insult to injury the insane clown bars the American press while allowing entry to the Russian Press. It is such an absurd move, a chance to embarrass the hated journalist of his own country which he misses no opportunity to iusult. Hence the photographs that you see here were shot by RUSSIANS!!!!

This kind of outrageous behavior bespeaks a degree of hubris that is hard to match in the history of American politics, and is an invitation to disaster for his presidency. This is because this outrageous decision by Trump has already set tongues to wagging about whether “The Donald” is actually a Putin surrogate. Inquiring minds want to know!

The Russian Invaders

Russians Invade the Oval Office at Trump’s Invitation

The question at the top of EVERYBODY’S list is what is the source of Putin’s power over Trump? Rumor has it that the Russian intelligence agencies have photograph’s of “The Donald” recieving Golden showers from Russian whores during his visit to Russia when staging a beauty peagent! If these rumors are true – and he was a WILD AND CRAZY GUY back in the day – then that would explain why he behaves like Putin’s Pussy. And as tawdry as this explanation is, it beats the orther explanation for his actions toward Russia: He is the Kremlin’s candidate.

Alas, just as Shakespeare warned in Hamlet: “There’s a rottening in Denmark,” something smells to high heaven in Trumps Washington. If Trump’s behavior regarding Russia is innocent, then he is the dumbest MOFO in America!!!! Which leaves no doubt that he is far too stupid to be our President. When stupidity is combineD with arrogance and egomania we have a very toxic cocktail indeed….and if left unchecked it could bring the deth of our democracy.
An autocrat moulded in the panelled offices of corporate plutocrats, where CEO’s are dictators, Trump is unsuited by personality and experience to deal with checks on his power. Hence, instead of recognizing that his ass is in a ditch and he ought to stop digging, he continues dig the ditch even deeper….it is becoming so deep he might not be able to climb out and his increasingly moribund presidency might well be buried there.

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The saddest thing about this whole Trump/Russian affair is that there is no foreign power in the world that the US needs to maintain friendly relations with more than Russia. In fact, I have written that the sole identifible virtue in Trump’s political posture is that he has refused to be stampeded into adopting and promoting the traditional anti-Russian attitude that is a persistent theme in American politics; an attitude that is approaching a collective hysteria. In fact, the only thing that I can think of that would be worse than Trump’s fawning attitude toward Putin’s Russia, is if he held a belligerent attitude towards them.

For those who read my commentaries on a regular basis, it is old news that I believe our traditional hostility toward the Russians is both unecissary and extremely dangerous due to the vast nuclear arsenals both nation’s posesses. I is also no secret that I believe American expansion into Eastern Europe via NATO, and the recruiting of former members of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact into this western military alliance is a form of clear American aggression against Russia. Hence I welcomed Trump’s vocal scepticism about the role of NATO, his empathy for Putin’s position, and his dismissal of the bogus, dangerous claim of “American Exceptionalism.”

But all of that was before the Russians hacked our election to help Trump win. Although I do not think this is the worse transgression in the history of international relations – Americans have done far worse on numerous occasions – and should be treated as a reality check, a warning to up our game, I do care a lot about the legitimacy of Trump’s presidency and the extent to which the Russians helped bring it about.

I am also appalled and shocked by the indifference right-wing so-called “patriots” have show toward this Russian transgression. It is clear that they have placed the narrow ideological concerns of the Grand Obstructionist Party over the fate of our nation. To my mind their behavior borders on treason! And Trump’s firing of the FBI Director who was leading the investigation into the extent of collusion between Republican operatives and Russian intelligence forces in tryng to rig our presidential elections only increases the stench of treason in the air.

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Playthell G.Benjamin

Harlem, New York

May, 1 2017

Ministers of God Genuflect before Mammon

Faith Sells Out

I’m an Anglican Priest in Canada, watching in disbelief as the Trump administration trashes every high principle which we know that most people of the U.S. hold dear. With my brother and his extended family living in Massachusetts, New York, Florida and California, what happens south of the border matters to me. Personal reasons aside, however, it’s also tragic to watch entire groups of people dismissed… poor people, sick people, people from foreign countries, people who are ‘different’, people from ‘other’ religions…you know – all those people Jesus welcomed in a heartbeat.

Which brings me to my incentive for writing; the Executive Order on Religious Liberty that Trump just signed. It’s no surprise to me that millions of people look at organized religion and find it wanting. What are we to make of this noise about a religious ‘liberty’ that in essence works to secure Trump’s hold on the Bible Belt and ensures that he may receive cash endorsements from religious organizations? Trump commented, “This financial threat against the faith community is over. No one should be censoring sermons or targeting pastors.” The named financial threat is a reference to the ever-present question of the relationship between church and state, and whether churches should be taxed.

What many people don’t realize is that most government structures in both Canada and the United States are keenly aware that, should the churches be taxed, it could well compromise their ability to pick up the slack in caring for the hungry, the mentally ill and the homeless – the poor souls who fall through the cracks by the thousands in the governments’ inadequate systems of care. According to recent research, it’s estimated that for every single dollar a church spends in ministry programs, the city benefits to an amount of $4.77 in services provided to the marginalized. (See link below to The Halo Project, a Canadian research study based on a similar study in the U.S.) Hence churches understand well that the government simply cannot afford to tax them.

The financial issue is more about Trump easing the way for religious organizations to back him with big bucks from the Bible Belt Bubble. As for “…censoring sermons or targeting pastors” as a priest, I can promise you that the church and clergy already have freedom of speech. We’ve all heard the gossip that in February a version of the Executive Order was drafted which contained provisions to protect religious leaders who speak out against same-sex marriage, transgender issues or pre-marital sex. So of course, this softened final version has disappointed religious conservatives. But trust me, they’ve been energetically preaching against these people from the pulpit for years, and they’ll continue to do so.

I was dismayed to learn from the Rev. William J. Barber II’s lucid response to Trump’s first National Day of Prayer, which Barber called a “public spectacle” (see link below) that the Billy Graham Evangelical Association donated ten million dollars to the Trump campaign. For years, this organization has been a light in the darkness – a witness of compassion and integrity. Billy remained scandal-free, kept his hands off the money and told the world of God’s endless love for decades, without trashing or excluding anyone. But the witness of the Billy Graham Association has been compromised. We all loved Billy for his humility and grace, and we’re surprised that his compassion and wisdom seem to have eluded his son, William Franklin Graham III, the current CEO. His donation to, and affiliation with the Trump Administration are rich with irony.

If any of the Christians on the grass roots level of these organizations behaved even remotely like Trump has, they would be kicked out, “read out of the assembly,” so fast that their heads would be spinning. I was raised in conservative fundamentalism and I know from brutal experience how it works. They might be technically ‘forgiven’ but they’d be alienated from community from that moment on, and yet they embrace Trump’s lies, racism and misogyny with all their hearts. What’s going on, here? How do they justify this disconnect between what they preach and who they’re getting into bed with?

In my tender years in Fundamentalism, I was taught that politics had no place in the pulpit. Politics stayed out there in the secular world, and we stayed pious and sheltered, in the spiritual world. We didn’t have to worry about injustice or war or caring for the environment or racism, because the ‘good’ people would all escape to heaven and that would be our bliss. But it’s not only Evangelical Christians who struggle with the relationship between politics and faith. As an Anglican Priest (Episcopalian in the U.S.) I’ve been attacked for preaching about social issues and for reminding people of their Christian mandate to speak up for justice. I’ve been told, “I don’t come to church to hear about politics or the problems of the world. I come here to escape them.”

For years, this has been the position of the religious right generally, until the likes of Pat Robertson realized the clout the Bible Belt had in elections, and the power they could seek through close ties with conservative political allies. And now we have Franklin Graham climbing into bed with a President whose lies are documented on film, even as he lies about the lies we can all see so clearly. There’s a huge problem in going to church to escape the problems of the world, but there’s also a huge problem in climbing into bed with politicians. If we truly want to follow Jesus, we’re going to have to follow him into passionate engagement with the problems of the world.

Televangelist Pat Robertson

He Married the Evangelical Movement to the Republican Right

Billy Graham Passing the Bible to Son Franklin

But in his political wheelings and dealings he dropped it!

If we truly want to follow Jesus, there’s no escaping the fact that we must follow him into being a voice for justice; crying out against the corruption and racism and imperialism and self-serving structures we find in both the church and the state. Belonging to the church or to a political party does not negate our responsibility to be a critical voice. But to align with the Trump administration, casually dismissing the horrifying decisions and behaviors that rob people of their dignity and their place in the world in exchange for support for the religious right’s desire to exclude and control is, quite simply, not Christ-like. Jesus didn’t seek to build a fortress of power that would keep others out. Jesus called a lie a lie. Jesus insisted that everyone belongs. Everyone. Jesus said that the bottom line in what God wants from us, is for us to love others as we love ourselves…not to decide who’s in and who’s out.

This Executive Order is not for the church. It serves only Trump. It gives the churches essentially nothing they didn’t already have, but it works as a giant flag-waving opportunity for Trump to ensure the continued donations and votes of the religious right, vaguely affirming their fierce intentions to control women’s rights and to exclude and vilify the LGBTQ community. This Executive Order doesn’t serve the church, and the religious leaders gathering around it should be ashamed of themselves.

If Christians really want to model ourselves after Jesus, we should be walking alongside the suffering, rather than deciding who we should exclude. We should be praising the government when it establishes policies that care for the marginalized and the vulnerable, and calling them out when they don’t. But the fundamentalists, it seems, have missed that faithful stance, having gone from one extreme to the other…from non-involvement to completely selling out. The religious right has become an angry force for exclusion. Where’s that divine love? Where’s that marvelous grace about which they sing every Sunday?

They Claim to be Brides of Christ….

So why Are they cavorting with Lucifer?

It’s alarming to the point of shock that they choose to support a leader whose words, actions and policies fly in the face of the One they claim to follow. Perhaps it’s time for all people of faith to join the modern day prophets like Rev. William Barber, and put a little more effort into reclaiming the essence of faith and resisting this environment that would make God into a bully for the sake of its own agenda. Perhaps it’s time for faith leaders to remind the world that following Jesus is simply about embracing love.